A group
of residents formed the Squannacook River Rail Trail Feasibility Study
Committee in October 2002 to study the possibility of converting 9.4
miles of dilapidated tracks running through Groton and Townsend into a
recreational path.

The
committee in March completed a new feasibility report, addressing
several concerns abutters and selectmen expressed in the summer 2003.

The
committee now proposes to build a 2.4-mile
trail along the rail bed from the Harbor Village Mall on Main Street to
Depot Street in the center of town. The rail bed, which is roughly 80
feet wide, is owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority.

"The
path would go from Townsend Harbor to the center of town. As it is,
you'd have to risk your life on (Route) 119 to get from one area to the
other," committee member Bill Rideout said Tuesday.

The
committee plans to meet with the selectmen after Town Election on April
25 to discuss taking the next step, Rideout said.

"All
we're asking them is to request a copy of the (MBTA) lease to figure
things out," Rideout said. "The general rule of thumb is it's
seven years from when the trail is first proposed to when they're
rolling out a bulldozer."

Committee
member Al Futterman said the MBTA offers communities interested in
converting abandoned railways into trails an 85-year lease for $1. He
noted some communities must purchase old railways from private companies
for substantially more.

"It's
a good deal," Futterman said of the MBTA's offer.

The
trail could cost as little as $40,000 a mile for a bare-earth trail, or
as much as $300,000 per mile for an asphalt trail, according to the
committee's March 2005 report.

Current
legislation states the federal government would cover 80 percent of a
proposed rail trail's construction costs, while the state government
would cover 10 percent and the community covers 10 percent. However,
there is new legislation pending that would increase the state's
contribution to 20 percent, Futterman said.

Selectman
Peter Collins said he is dead set against the project.

"Myself
being an outdoorsman, I'm vehemently opposed to taking a bulldozer
through the woods and creating a trail for what some are portraying as a
wilderness experience," Collins said Tuesday. "They want
people to enjoy the wilderness by destroying wild habitat."

Collins
said he wouldn't even consider the project unless the committee has
determined the MBTA maintains clear title of the proposed pathway.

Resident
Joseph Shank, who owns Harbor Auto Body, Inc. at 98 Main St., said his
land extends onto the old rail bed but nobody
from the committee has contacted him about his deed.

"They
have not done what the selectmen have asked, which was to see if there
are any deed problems," Shank said.

Futterman
noted the MBTA owns enough of the rail behind Harbor Auto Body to put in
a 12-foot wide path without encroaching on Shank's property.

Shank
said he wouldn't allow a path to run behind his property.

"I'm
going to vow to fight them to my death," Shank said. "There
are businesses on that Groton trail that have lost business because
people on the trail stop in and say, 'Oh, my child has to use the
bathroom.' Do we need it in Townsend? No. The town of Townsend has how
many acres of conservation land? Make a path through the woods."

Shank
also is worried about the additional work the local public safety
departments would endure from a bike path.

"The
way my tax bill is, I have a hard time putting more strain on the
police, fire, and ambulance departments to support a bike path,"
Shank said.

"I
have concerns about how to patrol it. I have concerns about access for
emergency vehicles. But at the same time, an unused railroad bed can
attract an unfavorable element," Marshall said. "I'd like to
see it come through. I know from talking to both people in Pepperell and
Groton, it's been very positive for both communities. It's amazing how
many people use it down there. I think it has positive effects on
property values."

"Pepperell's
is a beautiful, paved rail trail. You can go cross-country skiing, ride
a bike," Cloutier said. "Townsend is perfect for it. The town
needs a bike path, and a lot of people would use it."

Cloutier
said he used to live in Groton, where the path runs very close to a
number of houses. He could sympathize with Townsend residents along Main
Street, whose back yards would abut the trail.

Charlotte
Newcombe, who lives at 112 Main St., would be able to see a bike path
from inside her home.

"I
just think, with this whole day and age, it
invites trouble," Newcombe said. "I liked it when the train
went by once a day. But a path -- I wouldn't have privacy anymore. And
that would be at all hours of the day."

Town
Administrator Greg Barnes feels the path would benefit the town in
numerous ways.

"I
think it could be a great quality of life benefit and serve as an
economic development tool. There are a lot of mom-and-pop stores along
(Route) 119. For example, stores that sell antiques might benefit from
the enhanced foot traffic," Barnes said. "I also find it ties
in both our developed and undeveloped areas. You can get an ice cream
and then go out to the woods."